'Genius' and the Household Mode of Intellectual Production: 1795-1885

This article examines a cohort of intellectuals born between 1795 and 1820. Specifically, it offers a prosopographical account of the select group of individuals who regarded themselves (and were regarded by at least some others) as 'geniuses', who were destined to synthesize hitherto irreconcilable oppositions, such as those between rationalism and romanticism, or revolution and reaction. I argue that the work that these individuals eventually produced was deeply influenced by the household mode of intellectual production within which they were enmeshed. In particular, I show how the gendered social relations that they established with their partners (both male and female) had a significant impact on the character and quality of their work. Those who problematized these gender relations produced oeuvres that were more nuanced and realistic, albeit at the expense of their original syncretic aims. Those who did not, retained the pristine purity of their synoptic vision, albeit at the expense of realism and nuance.